Discuss the major events of the Revolutionary War

Summary:

The Revolutionary War was brought on by hard feelings of the English Colonists towards the power hungry British, because of the harsh taxes Britain was forcing the new Colonists to pay. The colonists thought that they had no representaion in Parliment when the taxes were being passed and they felt that the taxes should come from their legislator. The colonists were forced to make and provide raw materials for the mother country (Britain) so they would gain profits; this was called Mercantalism. The belief of natural rights flooded the minds of the colonists, and this was something that they did not have. These reasons, among others, were the causes of the historical Revolutionary War.

The Boston Tea Party: (1773) Taxes were put on imported items from Britain such as tea, stamps, and many other goods. Taxation on imoprted tea was expremely high in the new colonies and the colonists were angry at this. They decided to rebel and throw the imported tea overboard a ship anchoed in the Boston Harbor. Thi

s showed the British that the colonists were angered at the taxes. This landmark event was later called the Boston Tea Party.
The Boston Massacre: (1770) Bostinians did not like the tax on stamps either. Colonists fought and argued with British soldiers in the main streets of Boston, and soon the soldiers became tired of the harassement. They open fire into the crowd and left 5 people dead and several injured, and this event was later named the Boston Massacre. This may seem like a small number of deaths to be considered a massacre, but the Sons of Liberty named it a massacre because the colonists were defensless against the armed Brisish.

The Stamp Act: (1765) Boston Colonial leaders created large group of people that harassed British colonial officials and organized protests, called the Sons of Liberty. The Colonists adpoted several resolutions that stated they would only be taxed by their colonial representatives, but the colonists argued that they did not have anyone representing them in Parliment. The Stamp Act was sponsored by George Grenville, and it was the first direct tax that the British imposed on the American colonies. This tax covered the expenses and cost of keeping the troops being stationed in the American colonies. Many Americans that did not elect members of Parliment opposed the act because they could not afford to pay the taxes, and it violated the new principle of "no taxation without representation". The Stamp Act was repealed by Parliment in 1766 external image Townshendrepeal.GIF

The Townshend Acts: (1767) The Townshend Acts taxed imported goods from England such as glass, lead, paint, paper and tea. Since the colonists did not agree with these taxes, they decided to boycott all of the British goods. The Townshend Acts were named after Charles Townshend, the Chancellor of the Exchenquer in order to raise revenue, tighten customs enforcement, and assert imperial authority in America. These Acts evenutally lead to the Boston Massacre. The Quartering Acts: (1765) Under the terms of this legislation, everyone had to provide basic needs of soldiers stationed within its borders, including bedding, cooking utensils, firewood, beer or cider and candles. This law was expanded in 1766, and people in public were required to pay for soldiers in taverns. The government thought that since the soldiers were protecting the colonists, the least they could do was let them stay in their houses. The reaction of the colonists was majorly negative:

Traditional fear of standing armies. The colonists relyed more on militia units than the formal armies. Militiamen could be called to service at any particular time, then released when the fighting ended.

2. The cost of an army was no small price for the colonists to pay because they were already having to pay the numerous taxes the British put on them. external image olive_petition_petition_big.jpg

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The Olive Branch Petition: (1775) The second Continental Congress sent out a letter the King George III asking to return to "the former harmony." Fourty-eight delegates signed the letter; it was then sent off to London. Once the king received the letter he refused to open it because he heard that the Americans had invaded Canada which in Britain's eyes was a act of aggression. So in response King George III rejected the letter declaring a colonists rebellion.

Common Sense: (1775) Common Sense was a book written by Thomas Paine declaring that it was time for the colonists to gain their independence from Great Britain, which would give them a better society. Americans chose sides: the loyalists or the patriots. The loyalists opposed independence and remained loyal to the king, and the patriots supported independence.

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The Delaration of Independence: (1776) The first continental congress: 12 of the colonies sent representatives to plan a response to the Intolerable Acts (the laws and taxes from the British that triggered resentment and resistance in the colonies). The Second continental Congress appointed the committee Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin and John Adams to write the Declaration of Independence which was adapted on July 4th 1776.